Атты халықаралық ғылыми-практикалық конференцияның материалдары 26 қазан 2019 ж

273
3. Ахметов З., Шаңбаев Т. Əдебиеттану терминдер сөздігі. – Алматы: Ана 
тілі, 1998. – 384 б.
4. Момышұлы Б. Сыновья великого волка. Қазақ əдебиеті: Энциклопедия. – 
Алматы, 1999. – 403 б.
5. Қазиқанова А.Қ. Əлі күнге Баукеңнің баласы боп жүрмін. Ақпарат-
библиографиялық бөлім.
6. Момышұлы Б. Жанымның жарық жұлдызы: Роман /Орыс тілінен ауд.
С.Қалиев. – Алматы, 1985. – 376 б.
7. Бақытжан Момышұлы // Қазақстан жазушылары: ХХ ғасыр: Анықтамалық. 
– Алматы, 2004. – 214 б.
8. Пірəлиева Г. Теңіз дəмі тамшыдан танылады. Жазушы Бақытжан 
Момышұлы // Қазақ əдебиеті. – 2011. – 7 қазан.
9. Жанұзақова Қ.Т. Көркем шығарманың композициясын талдау // Bulletin 
KazNU. Filology series. – Алматы, 2013. – № 4 (144). 
A.M. Ospanova, 
Master Student of 2 d Course of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
(Kazakhstan)
USE OF KAZAKH FOLK TRADITIONS
IN THE TRILOGY “THE NOMADS” BY I. ESENBERLIN
Kazakh national literature originated from oral traditions of people. Writers bor-
row themes, motifs, and patterns from folklore because the oral is an important as-
pect of the conceptual gene fund of the nation that includes centuries of experience 
and wisdom of people. Folklore realism is an unending source of realism for his-
torical fi ction. Merging with folk art strengthens the beauty of a writer’s individual 
style. The true artist I Esenberlin has not merely reproduced fabulous folklore art 
pieces, but he has also enriched and developed oral traditions with the aim to reveal 
truly and fully life of Kazakh people in the XV-IXX centuries and to express their 
worldviews, ideas and aspirations.
This research is based on works of the famous Kazakh educators Ch. Valikhanov, 
I. Altynsarin, A. Kunanbayev who made a signifi cant contribution to the general 
study of Kazakh folk art. In modern Kazakh scientifi c literature, main issues of na-
tional folklore were analyzed by E. Balabekov, B. Amanova, A. Mukhambetova, E. 
Tursunov, Sh. Alibekov, N. Shahanova. Selected aspects of I. Esenberlin’s trilogy 
were studied by K. Aralbayev and M. Baltymova.
This study will disclose the role of folk traditions in the trilogy for describing 
comprehensively the nomads’ way of life, their world view, traditions, and the sys-
tem of values. Folk art emerged in the ancient era and was instrumental in regulation 
of social life, as well as perpetuation and transmittance of cultural experience from 
one generation to another. The historian and writer I. Esenberlin includes a great 

274
many examples of folk traditions related to economic and military activities, family 
relations, wedding festivities, burial rites, and daily life in his novel. Undoubtedly, 
oral literature is a source of artistic and national uniqueness of I. Esenberlin’s writ-
ing style.
The well-known Russian historian N.Z. Oshanov claims that the nomad’s per-
sonality can be characterized with the term “hunter-nomad-warrior”
29
. I. Esenberlin 
uses heroic epos of Genghis Khan era to describe military art of the Kazakhs. The 
famous “Code of Laws”
30
compiled by Timur and then used by Genghis Khan and 
other successors to the throne regulated military, social and economic life of the an-
cient society: “Of all the laws established on the Kazakh land by the conquerors, the 
most terrible and cruel after Genghis Khan was the “Code of Laws on Criminals.”
31
The war played an important role in the socio-political life of tribal people. The 
nomads benefi tted from their itinerant lifestyle and developed their own strategies of 
warfare: “A terrible horse avalanche was always rushing on the enemy tossing them 
with arrows. If the enemy was able to withstand their onslaught, they immediately 
turned docile horses back and disappeared in the haze of the steppe. The enemy, en-
couraged by success, sometimes could not stand and followed them. And suddenly 
a hurricane of arrows fell from all the ravines and steppe beams. The horseriders 
returned and completed the defeat.”
32
I. Esenberlin describes the specifi c way, the nomads used, to cross rivers. Since 
they were engaged in cattle raising, they used animal skins for this purpose: “Weap-
ons and clothes were put onto a skin and then it was tightened with a string. The 
result was a large, tightly closed leather bag full of air. Usually this bag was tied to 
the tail of a horse and warriors fl oated holding on to it.”
33
The detailed description 
of military tactics of nomads is based on folk Kazakh literature, as well as on scru-
pulous studies of historical monographs on the theme.
Creativity of famous Kazakh akyns was dedicated to joyful celebrations of batyrs’ 
heroism. Poets participated in military campaigns, inspired warriors to great deeds 
and sang them praise: “Kaztugan Zhyrau sang blood and raids, seeing the meaning 
of life in them. He called for new battles, for war for the sake of war in a beautiful 
strong voice. Only in this way can a person fulfi l himself.”
34
Using written and oral sources, I. Esenberlin describes national hunting tradi-
tions, which stemmed from ancient times. Hunting provided a balanced diet for the 
community, allowed to practice future military operations, and prepared young peo-
29 Oshanov N.Z. The Role of Hunting in the military and political Life of Nomads in Eurasian 
Steppe // International Journal of Experimental Education, KGTU, 2015. Issue 7, P. 86.
30 Jackson P. “YĀSĀ” // Encyclopædia Iranica, online edition. 2013. URL: http://www.iranica-
online.org/articles/yasa-law-code. (Accessed: 20.09.2016).
31 Esenberlin I, The Nomads: a novel trilogy // Book 1. The Charmed Sword. 1978. URL: http://www.
manybooks.org/auth/6909/book/21822/esenberlin_ilyas/kochevniki_1_zagovorennyiy_mech. (Ac-
cessed: 26.09.2015).
32 Esenberlin I, The Nomads. Book 1. The Charmed Sword.
33 Esenberlin I. Op. cit.
34 Esenberlin I. Op. cit.

275
ple for future battles: “When there is no war, where, except hunting, can one show 
himself? Anyone who plunges a sharp three-sided arrow to the forehead of a running 
huge boar at the depth of four fi ngers will do the same with an iron-clad enemy in 
an open fi ght. No wonder that they called hunting a fair of courage in the steppe.”
35
Sometimes young men entered into a fi ght with a bear or a wounded boar. In the 
trilogy I. Esenberlin, retells an old legend about Genghis Khan’s eldest son Dzhuchi, 
who was attacked and wounded mortally by a kiang.
I. Esenberlin shows burial rites of the Kazakhs which refl ected people’s religious 
ideas about the universe and essence of being, their beliefs in the afterlife, and wor-
ship of nature’s forces and ancestors’ ghosts: “The didactic legend is told about 
Khan Munke’s burial. The Lord was put into the grave together with his most be-
loved and dedicated slave. He was buried and dug out three times and, if he was still 
alive, he was freed for good, because he had inherited his master’s sins. Finally, the 
lord’s body was buried… Nobody should know the burial place. Immediately after 
the funeral all witnesses were killed and a herd of horses trampled all traces. This is 
done to protect not from grave robbers, but from warring relatives.”
36
The following ancient legend, rehashed in the novel, refl ects the nomads’ belief 
in heavenly existence after death: “Once there was a custom among the Kipchaks 
according to which a wool doll, similar to the deceased wealthy man, was made on 
the seventh and fortieth day after his death and put among feasting people. Kipchaks 
believed that the soul is immortal and is always near his close relatives… On the 
memory of the funeral stone idols of obatases and balbalas were carved and put 
up.”
37
The novel contains numerous examples of funeral folklore of the Kazakhs: es-
tirtu (sad news about someone’s death), farewell, litanies, zhubatu, and konil aitu 
(condolences). In mournful songs of zhubatu merits and good deeds of the deceased 
were listed and frequently overemphasized: “Two lions fell prematurely, the broth-
ers who knew no fear...”
38
The song estirtu did not inform a listener directly about someone’s death, con-
troversially, it was a listener himself who should fi gure out the sad news. A legend 
about Dzhuchi’s death says that no one dared to report to Genghis Khan on his son’s 
dying. The Khan guessed the distressing news from mournful sounds of the old 
Kotan-zhyrau’s dombra:
“The sea was choppy at its sources.
Who will calm the waves down, oh, my Khan?
The aspen was broken in the middle by the storm.
35 Esenberlin I, The Nomads. Book 1. The Charmed Sword.
36 Esenberlin I. Op. cit.
37 Esenberlin I. Op. cit.
38 Esenberlin I, The Nomads: a novel trilogy // Book 3. Khan Kene. 1978. URL: http://www.
manybooks.org/auth/6909/book/21824/esenberlin_ilyas/kochevniki_3_han_kene. (Accessed: 
26.09.2015).

276
Who will mend it, oh, my Khan?”
39
Wedding traditions, depicted in the novel, provide signifi cant ethnographic and 
historical knowledge about life of Kazakh people in the past and refl ect moral and 
ethical rules of society. The writer includes a great many folk songs in his work. For 
instance, a song called “zhar-zhar” was sung by young people before a bride’s leav-
ing her parents’ house; a “toy bastar” song opened a wedding ceremony in a bride’s 
house; a sad song of “synsu” was sung by a bride when she was saying good-bye to 
her relatives and friends:
“Girls’ dreams melt like a mirage in the steppe.
It seemed to me that the rose blooms 
Only for a nightingale in the garden.
My heart hurts about this rose’s fate.”
40
I. Esenberlin created artistic images of famous zhyraus, folk story-tellers of the 
past, in his trilogy. They all took part in contests of poets-improvisers called “aitys”: 
“Throughout the steppe there were rumours about the upcoming competition among 
singers-storytellers: Kipchak Kaztugan-zhyrau and the Argyn improviser Kotan-
zhyrau, Akzhol-biy’s father. Kaztugan-zhyrau had the language of fi ery red cloth 
and the teeth which were sharper than a sword, but less tall than a rook. Kotan-
Zhyrau was over ninety, but his voice sounded much younger. The great Asan Kaigy 
was invited as a judge… He was worshiped like a saint in the steppe.”
41
Songs of the aitys were similar to Kazakh heroic epic. Akyns absorbed all rich-
ness of oral folk language: epic motifs, proverbs, sayings, colloquial phrases, words 
of edifi cation. They preserved and transmitted the ancient wisdom to successors, 
moreover, they created vivid metaphors and aphorisms which subsequently entered 
folk language and contributed to the formation of the Kazakh literary language. For 
instance, the old chronicle epic, included in the trilogy, helped to conserve most 
important historical events in the memory of future generations: 
“During that unfortunate year
The battle with the Dzungars happened…
Syban Raptan, skilled in the art of war,
Was their warlord.”
42
The novel is replete with didactic sayings of akyns, who provided guidance to 
people and imbue them with patriotism, camaraderie and sense of justice: “Every-
one wants to remain good in the memory of descendants. And people’s memory is 
the chief judge;”
43
“An old friend will never be your enemy, for his blood mingled 
with yours during the oath… And the old enemy will never be a true friend, for his 
blood is shed by your hand;”
44
“If the shepherd himself does not believe in the safety 
39 Esenberlin I, The Nomads. Book 1. The Charmed Sword.
40 Esenberlin I, The Nomads: a novel trilogy // Book 2. Despair. 1978. URL: http://www.
manybooks.org/auth/6909/book/21823/esenberlin_ilyas/kochevniki_2_otchayanie. (Accessed: 
26.09.2015).
41 Esenberlin I, The Nomads. Book 1. The Charmed Sword.
42 Esenberlin I, The Nomads. Book 2. Despair.
43 Esenberlin I. Op. cit.
44 Esenberlin I. Op. cit.

277
of the herd, the wolves will be fed;”
45
“Will a blood-fed eagle drink anything else? 
The Khan will not do without violence;”
46
“The stone has no veins fi lled with blood, 
the Khan has no heart.”
47
I. Esenberlin traces most important characteristics of Kazakh national mentality 
back to folk traditions and creatively refl ects them in his trilogy. The author reveals 
such a basic national trait of character as hospitality. This quality contributed greatly 
to the establishment of good relations between clans, helped to prevent or smooth 
out any possible confl icts: “Entering the yurt, we sat on the right side on silk quilts. 
Asan Kaiga was seated above the others and even above the Khan himself. Every 
detail in the steppe hospitality is of great importance, and everyone understood this 
dumb conversation without words.”
48
The description underlines respectful treat-
ment of guests in Kazakh society.
I. Esenberlin combines oral sources with artistic imagination and creates vivid 
pictures of national life in his trilogy: “The feast lasted for a week. On the fi rst 
day three hundred selected horses raced in the baiga near the lake Shaindy. The 
fi rst prize was awarded to the famous Tarlankok, the horse of Khan Abulkhair, on 
which the seven-year-old Khan’s grandson Mohammed Sheibani rode. The excited 
Khan promised to arrange a special feast on the occasion of the signifi cant victory. 
Then there was a wrestling competition, and the wrestler Karazhan with his hands, 
thicker than the legs of an old camel, won.”
49
The reader has the sense as if he or 
she witnesses or directly participates in the events. Thus, the author’s imagination 
as a means of creating unique literary images is one of the main characteristics of 
the historical fi ction.
I. Esenberlin uses a huge amount of folklore materials in his trilogy, which is 
justifi ed by rich ancient culture of the Kazakh nation. The author shows that national 
oral traditions are closely linked to nomadic lifestyle and refl ect the worldview and 
all aspects of social, political, economic, and cultural life of the nomads in the past.

жүктеу/скачать 1,94 Mb.

Достарыңызбен бөлісу: